Seahawks Learn DK Metcalf's True Value Hard Way in 31-10 Loss to Bills

Sporting a jacket on the sideline with a knee injury, DK Metcalf may have made himself some money not playing as the Seahawks got trounced by the Bills.

Oct 27, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, left, bumps fists with with wide receiver DK Metcalf, right, during pregame warmups against the Buffalo Bills at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

SEATTLE, Wash. - Outgained by nearly 200 total yards and doubled up in first down conversions, the absence of one player likely wouldn't have made much of a difference in the final outcome on Sunday as the Seattle Seahawks were trampled by a stampede in a 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Unfortunately, Metcalf's presence wouldn't have mattered on the field on two critical miscues that happened in the red zone in the second quarter, as center Connor Williams uncorked a snap several feet over Geno Smith's head and the quarterback would later get tripped up when his center stepped on his foot after the snap on a fourth and goal play. The star receiver wouldn't have factored in either one of those plays that turned potential touchdown opportunities into a field goal and a turnover on downs in golden missed opportunities.

Still, as expected without the prolific downfield weapon, the Seahawks looked like a shell of their usual selves on offense without Metcalf, who entered Week 8 ranked 10th in the NFL in receptions, third in receiving yards, and fourth in targets as the centerpiece in Ryan Grubb's attack.

"DK Metcalf is one of one, but we’ve got a lot of really good players that can play. We expect them to go in and execute at a high level," coach Mike Macdonald said following Sunday's defeat. "We need to be able to move the ball on the ground and in the air. We’ve got to be able to score in the red zone. DK wouldn't have been out there on the goal line on the one or two-yard line."

If healthy enough to play, however, contrary to Macdonald's statement, there's no question Metcalf would have been on the field for the Seahawks when both of those crucial mishaps happened. His presence may have impacted Ryan Grubb's play calling on prior snaps as well, especially on the three plays before Smith's unfortunate stumble when they ran the ball for six total yards and couldn't get past the goal line.

Heading towards the final year of his contract, Metcalf's true value couldn't have been more apparent on Sunday afternoon, as the Seahawks couldn't find ways to generate explosive plays in the passing game and greatly missed his ability to take the top off a defense along with creating opportunities for others with the attention he draws in coverage. Smith completed 72 percent of his passes, but he had few opportunities to get the ball downfield without his top receiver and his replacements offered minimal contributions.

The greatest benefactor of Metcalf being out from a playing time standpoint, Jake Bobo caught his only target for 15 yards and a first down on a season-high 39 snaps, struggling to get open against Buffalo's sticky secondary. Laviska Shenault only played seven snaps, but he lucked out when an ugly drop didn't count due to an illegal contact penalty against the Bills, catching one pass for 10 yards on his only other target.

Minus Metcalf, the Seahawks only had one receiver who finished with more than 20 receiving yards on Sunday, with Jaxon Smith-Njigba snagging six passes for 69 yards on seven targets. Veteran Tyler Lockett proved to be a non-factor, catching just one pass on three targets for nine yards, and Smith wound up targeting running backs and tight ends on 15 of his 27 pass attempts, with many of those throws coming in the second half when they were trailing by multiple scores in garbage time.

To an extent, that target share leaning towards running backs and tight ends likely was by design and wasn't a bad strategy by the Seahawks. The Bills entered Sunday's game having allowed the sixth-most receptions to tight ends and second-most receptions to running backs. Down to their third-string starting linebacker, attacking the middle of the field with Ken Walker III, Noah Fant, and AJ Barner made a lot of sense as a means to compensate for Metcalf being on the sidelines.

But in the end, Seattle wasn't able to generate chunk plays through the air, as they failed to produce a pass play of 21 or more yards in a game for the first time since 2017. Only one of Smith's 21 completions went for 20 yards, as Barner rumbled his way to a big gain in the fourth quarter when the game already was well out of reach, showing just how much they missed their big play threat in a blowout loss at home.

After missing just his second game in six seasons, per Macdonald on his weekly radio show on Seattle Sports, the Seahawks are optimistic Metcalf will have a good chance to be back in action next weekend against the Rams in a must-win NFC West battle at Lumen Field. To have any shot at snapping their three-game home losing streak, they will need all hands on deck against their division rivals, most notably their No. 1 receiver to open up the aerial attack.

Thinking big picture, with free agency looming in 2026, Metcalf and his agency will certainly be able to bookmark Sunday's loss once they reach the negotiation table in the near future. For anyone questioning whether he deserves to be paid top-five receiver money, while arguments against such compensation may exist, considering how much the Seahawks offense sputtered without him against a quality opponent, it will be much tougher for John Schneider and the front office to refute his real value now.

More Seahawks News

Seahawks' Run Defense Woes Continue to Haunt in Blowout Loss to Bills

Game Recap: Seahawks Fall Flat in Crushing Loss to Bills

Rapid Reaction: Seahawks Outmuscled, Outclassed by Bills in 31-10 Beatdown

5 Turning Points in Seahawks' Cursed, Lopsided Loss to Bills